- New role will be responsible for leading on delivery of industry strategy
- Will head up newly-created Strategy and Change department within the BHA
- Alison Enticknap has been responsible for delivery of the Horse Welfare Board’s A Life Well Lived strategy and moves over from her existing role as BHA Interim Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is pleased to announce that its interim Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Alison Enticknap, has been appointed to fulfil the newly-created role of Director of Strategy and Change.
This development follows the recent joint announcement by the BHA, Racecourse Association (RCA) and Thoroughbred Group (TG) that the sport will work together on the development of a new industry strategy.
In her role as Director of Strategy and Change, Alison will be the BHA’s Executive lead on the coordination of industry strategy, working closely with colleagues across the industry.
Following a structural review, and in line with ongoing discussions relating to the sport’s governance structures – which include industry agreement that the BHA should be responsible for the delivery of an industry strategy – the BHA is currently in the process creating a new Strategy and Change department.
Alongside the development of industry strategy, the new department will be responsible for programme management and planning, including oversight of cross-industry projects, and building capability and capacity in areas such as insights and analysis, and project delivery.
Alison joined the BHA in 2018, originally as Head of Stakeholder and Internal Engagement. Since Autumn 2021 she has been fulfilling the role of Interim Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs.
In her time at the BHA Alison has been responsible for leading the establishment of the Horse Welfare Board and the delivery of its “A Life Well Lived” industry welfare strategy, and is currently the project lead for the ongoing BHA whip review, which it is intended will be published prior to Alison commencing her new role in early August.
Prior to joining the BHA, Alison held a range of communications, public affairs and programme management roles, in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors, including roles at T-Mobile, Virgin Atlantic, Powergen, the Natural History Museum and the RSPB.
A separate recruitment process for the permanent Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs position remains ongoing, and further roles within the new Strategy and Change department will be advertised in the near future.
Alison Enticknap said:
“I see this role as a huge opportunity for racing to work together to address our biggest challenges and to seize important opportunities. The prize is enormous if we can collaborate as an industry and get this right. I look forward to working across racing, with its wealth of knowledge and expertise, and helping to secure the outcome we all want – a thriving and sustainable sport.”
Joe Saumarez Smith, Chair of the BHA, said:
“The creation of the new Strategy and Change department will be crucial for our sport’s agreed plans to develop a new industry strategy. I am delighted that we have appointed Alison to lead this department. Her proven leadership ability and capacity to build relationships and drive change will be integral to the success of this work.”
Charlie Parker, Chair of the TG, said:
“It is pleasing that progress on the BHA’s restructure continues and that Alison has been appointed to this role. Alison has developed good relationships with many of our members and is exactly the calibre of person that is needed to deliver this work.”
Wilf Walsh, Chair of the RCA, added:
“Now that it has been agreed that an industry strategy will be delivered, we all want to see real progress and things getting done. I am pleased therefore to see this new role being filled so quickly and look forward to working closely with Alison.”
